The Kiriko Sword
by Galadriadhar
Summary: Link, the Hero of Time, embarks on a quest to save Princess Zelda from the evil Baarucah and figure out the powers of the mysterious Kiriko Sword.
1. The Beginning

Disclaimer: Shigeru Miyamoto owns Link. I just like his world.

The Kiriko Sword

Chapter 1: The Beginning

Waves crashed against the shore of Rumeria, the water of the waves slowly eroding the coastline. The sky was dark, and a gale was coming. A small boy dressed in forest green wandered along the coastline. At first glance he looked like any other Rumerian child, with long, blond hair whipping his face. But if you looked closer, you would see the remains of scars scattered across his countenance. Behind him lay the remains of a ship, the style Hyrulian. It was spread out across the shore. A victim of the devastating wreck, that is how Link, the Hero of Time, came to Rumeria.

The fire burned brightly inside the old man's house. He shuffled on arthritic legs to the fireplace to stir the soup that lay boiling in a copper pot. Bringing the ladle up, he sniffed the wonderful beef concoction. Sighing deeply, he put the ladle back in the soup. It was then that the old man heard a knock. Turning, he put his hand on the doorknob and pulled it open to reveal a boy in forest green clothing, shivering.

"Please, s-sir. I'm cold and h-hungry. M-may I come in?" the boy pleaded.

Now, Rehen,(for that was the old man's name,) couldn't bear to see a child suffer, so he beckoned for the boy to come inside. When the child was through the door, Rehen closed the door behind him and started to fill a bowl with soup.

"What is your name, child?" Rehen questioned.

"L-Link, sir."

"Well Link, how did you come to Rumeria? I've never seen a child dressed like you."

"I was on a boat from Hyrule, when a giant storm hit. Everyone was washed away except the Hyrulian princess and I. We both grabbed planks of wood so we could stay afloat. Then, a giant, black demon appeared and took the princess away. The last thing I remember before fainting was the princess calling out to me, saying 'Save me, Link!' That's all." Link's eyelids began to droop. Rehen had found the story quite interesting, so he picked Link up and put him in a bed.

"Go to sleep, Link. You need it." Rehen whispered. He pulled the blanket up and put it around Link. Before the child turned over, Rehen glimpsed an expression of joy on the boy's face. Chuckling to himself, the old man walked to the front room, pulled out a cot, and lay down with a relieved sigh. He needed a good night's rest.


	2. Legends and Heroes

The Kiriko Sword

Author's note: Go Shigeru!!

Chapter 2: Legends and Heroes

Many years passed, and Link grew into a fine young man under Rehen's care. He ran the length of the beach every day to strengthen his leg muscles. While he ran, he pumped his arms to build them up. Most importantly, Link was happy. Never before had someone cared for him like Rehen did. But he sensed that his caretaker was unhappy. Link often caught Rehen staring at a painting, one of a man holding up a sword over a black demon. Sometimes, his caretaker would stare for hours at this painting. He would always mumble under his breath. Then, if Rehen noticed Link, he would turn away and cook something. Strangely enough, this was the painting that had the most power over Link. He would walk past it, and an unknown force would pull his eyes towards the painting. It was very unnerving. Finally, one day, Link asked Rehen about the painting.

"Rehen, what is that picture? I've seen you stare at it for hours on end. Whenever I walk past it, my eyes are drawn towards it. What's up?"

Rehen was staring out the window at the beach. He sighed and turned around. "Well, it's about time you know. You're old enough. Sit down." Link sat. Rehen sat across from him. "This is the story you want to hear...

'Long ago, when Rumeria was young and covered in snow, there was a demon by the name of Baarucah. He was jealous of the king, King Ramat, because the king was treated like a god. So Baarucah devised a plan. At night, he snuck into the king's chambers and planted an idea in the king's head. Ramat, following this idea, named Baarucah his right hand man. The next night, the demon snuck into Ramat's chambers again and stabbed him to the heart. The next morning, when the king was discovered dead, the people raised an uproar. Baarucah was crowned king, and he pointed the blame at Gerkiln, the king's royal servant, the only one who knew who the king's killer really was. The people directed their anger at Gerkiln, and he fled from the city. He ran til he came to a cave. That night, he dreamed that a miraculous sword could be forged, and he was the one that could forge it. Gerkiln woke up and there, in the back of the cave, was the chunk of rock destined to be the hilt. He picked it up and then found the metal of the blade. The next night he built a roaring fire in the cave and pounded the metal into the shape of the blade. Then, he carved the rock into a hilt while tar and resin melted over the fire. Gerkiln poured the resin-tar mix into the blade hole. He stuck the blade in the melted tasin, and bound it up with leather for extra protection against breakage.

The next step in creating the legendary sword was to find the Riboni spirits to power the sword. Gerkiln traveled all over Rumeria to the various temples: Freetree Temple, Lihini, Honja, Taesen, Kilor, and Mikerium. At each, he pleaded with the resident spirit to travel with him and power the blade. After convincing all of them, he christened the sword "The Kiriko Sword," after the first letter of each spirit's name: **K**inetha,** I**sthman, **R**emhet, **I**yonti, **K**orinke, and **O**kasi. These six spirits together made it possible to defeat Baarucah.

Gerkiln traveled back to Rumera, the capital city, where he challenged Baarucah to a duel. The demon agreed, and steel met steel. It was a ferocious fight, and when the dust cleared, Baarucah was on the ground, wounded, while Gerkiln was still standing. The kingdom banished Baarucah to the Outer Likoni Basin, where he stayed for thousands of years. Now he has returned, and is slowly tainting our land with his darkness. We are not fighters, so a warrior needs to stand and take the Kiriko Sword to save our nation.'

Rehen stopped, and heard Link say what he was bound to say.

"I will go, and save Rumeria." Link proclaimed.

Rehen chuckled. "I knew you would say that. Rest tonight and you may leave in the morning. Go on." As Link rushed off to bed, Rehen smiled to himself, then frowned. 'Is he enough?' The old man wondered. 'I hope so. He is the only one who can save us now.'


	3. Zelda's Corruption

Chapter 3: Zelda's Corruption

Author's note: Yes, Zelda becomes corrupted. But just keep reading.

In the thirteen years that had passed, Princess Zelda had changed dramatically. She was a totally different person. Being in Baarucah's presence for so long had tainted her. The fair hair that had hung from her head was now midnight black. Her eyes had gained a dark tint. She no longer was the happy princess she once was. Zelda had become a princess of darkness.

Baarucah was quite happy with himself. He had managed to turn the little princess into a lady of evil. Soon he would be ready to take her to the Pateka Temple where he could suck the power out of her to make himself more powerful. Baarucah grinned. He was happier than he'd been in a long time.

Zelda may have become a princess of the dark, but a small part of her still fought. It was becoming weaker by the day. She desperately hoped that Link would save her. But until then, she would fight by herself.


	4. A Time of Consideration

The Kiriko Sword

Author's Note: I've been working on NanoWrimo.

Chapter 4: A Time of Consideration

"I will save Rumeria." Link proclaimed. Rehen smiled to himself.

"Link, are you sure about that? It is quite dangerous. I believe that you should get stronger. Maybe wait until you're eighteen?" Rehen knew perfectly well that Link would say "okay" just to please him. He also knew that, more likely than not, Link would slip away into the night and go to the first spirit, Kinetha, and her temple, Riyanthus Palace. There Link would seek the Kiriko Sword and strive to free Kinetha. Rehen knew this as surely as he knew his own name.

Just as he had suspected, Link bowed his head and said, "Yes, I will wait for three more years. Good night, Rehen."

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'Link... Link...... I am Baarucah, the master of this island. You are cruel, to think of leaving the old man. You are cruel.... Link.......'

Link woke up in a cold sweat. Sunlight streamed through the open window and lit up the dust motes. He remembered the dream as though it had been imprinted in his brain with a fire brand. Link couldn't shake off the memory of that cold, terribly deadly voice. For the first time, he wondered if he was being cruel to the man who had sheltered and fed him for nine years.

Link got out of bed and dressed himself in the Lincoln green tunic that he always wore. He walked to the bathroom, and gasped. Instead of his face, there was a black, demonic face looking back at him. The face was handsome, with a close-cut beard and ebony black hair. But underlying all that was the essence of evil, evil that had rotted away the soul underneath the skin. Link reeled away from the mirror. Instantly the demon was replaced by a glittering fairy. Its seraphic wings slowly fluttered. The fairy spoke in an angelic voice, with a hint of fear in it.

"Link. I am Kinetha. I need your assistance. I am slowly being drained of power. The other spirits are too. I am trapped in the Riyanthus Palace. The Kiriko Sword is here too. Help us, I beg of you." Briefly, five other fairies appeared on the mirror, one white, one red, one blue, one green, one purple, and the speaker yellow. These Link knew were Kinetha, Isthman, Remhet, Iyonti, Korinke, and Okasi. All except Kinetha disappeared, and she spoke one last warning.

"Link, that was Baarucah. Do not listen to him. Do not be ashamed to leave Rehen. He understands better than you think. Ask him..." Kinetha's voice trailed away. Link stood, dumbfounded, until Rehen tapped upon the door.

"Link, are you okay?" He asked. There was no answer, but the door opened. Rehen took that as permission to come in. He saw Link sitting on the floor. "Link, I think I know what this is about." The old man sat down next to Link and sighed.

"Link, you were visited by the spirit of Southey, were you not?" Link nodded. "Well, I'm sure Kinetha told you that I understand?" Again, Link nodded. "I do. You see, my true name is Gerkiln. I forged the Kiriko Sword."

Link was amazed. "You- You forged the Sword.? That would make you five thousand years old!" Rehen laughed.

"Yes, I guess it would. But, on to other business. I know that you want to leave. I will not stop you. In fact, I will help you to get started. Wait here," Rehen commanded, leaving the room for a second. He returned carrying a sword and a shield. "There you go. My old steel sword and the shield from the Kiriko metal."

Link was even more amazed. "You're giving me your only protection?"

"No, I'm not. I have magic up my sleeve. Don't worry about me. Here, have this, too." Rehen handed the boy a rolled-up map. "On that map is the land of Rumeria, with the palaces of the spirits labeled. The first place you must go to is Riyanthus Palace, home of Kinetha. This is where it is," Rehen said, pointing to the map.

Link started to speak his thanks, but the man stopped him. "None of that, young one. Now go, finish what Gerkiln started." Link saluted, and raced down the stairs and out the door. Rehen went to the window and saw the dust flying from Link's feet. He said to himself, "Finish what I started, and break this curse upon the land, and me."


	5. Journey to Riyanthus

The Kiriko Sword

Disclaimer: Shigeru Miyamoto created Zelda. I just work for enjoyment.

Chapter 5: Journey to Riyanthus

The hot sand burned Link's feet. He trudged across the Larat Wastes, head bowed in an attempt to shade his face. The enthusiastic energy that had filled him at Rehen's house had deserted Link, leaving tiredness in its wake. Link wanted to sleep, to lie down on the soft grains and rest. But, he knew that if he slept, he might never wake up again.

The ferocious wind fell a bit, and in that millisecond Link spotted a cave in a dark cliff. He turned towards the cave, and finally got to the cave. The first thing that struck him was how bright it was inside the cave. The light seemed to emanate from a pictogram on the back wall of the cave. Link moved closer, and saw that it was a story-gram.

"What is this? It's Gerkiln's story. He was accused of assassinating King Ramat. Then, it looks like he was chased out of town. And he fled to... this cave???" Link said incredulously. His eyes started to move of their own accord. He turned, and saw the scorch marks of a fire and the fossilized tasin that bound the Kiriko Sword to its hilt. Just to be sure, he went over and touched the tasin. It was still sticky. Slowly, Link turned to the wall. There, four marks were made by the tasin. He walked to the wall and touched the points one by one. The wall shrugged off the centuries of dust and walked off to the side. Link gaped.

"A walking wall? I've seen weird things, but this tops them all." Shrugging, Link stepped into the corridor behind the animate wall.

**************************************************************

3000 steps later, Link's feet finally found level ground. A blinding flash of light destroyed Link's vision. He fell to the ground, and clutched his eye sockets. He felt for his eyes but they were gone!

"My eyes! They're gone! Aahhhh!" As Link fell to the floor, he felt, rather than saw, a giant figure standing over him.

"Who dares to enter Riyanthus, prison of Kinetha, leader of the Riboni spirits?" A voice boomed out over Link. Link felt himself getting to his feet. He turned to the speaker.

" I am Link! I have come to save Kinetha! You cannot stop me, for your light didn't stop me!" Link shouted. The figure laughed a deep, menacing laugh.

"Ha ha ha! You would not be able to defeat me! Instead, I will ask you a riddle. If you guess correctly, I will allow you to continue. If you lose... You will die. Do you accept?"

Link wasted no time in shouting, "Yes, I accept!"

The figure laughed again. "Here is your riddle. 'What flies up, never falls, destroys yet creates, populates?" Link searched his mind. There! A thin thought thread. He snagged it, and remembered a time long ago...

He was standing before the Great Deku Tree in the Kokiri Forest. He had just destroyed the monster that lived in the tree. The Deku Tree told him about the three goddesses who had created Hyrule. The three that had created....

"Nayru, Din, and Farore! The three goddesses who created Hyrule!" Link blurted. The figure again laughed.

"Correct. You may pass." A rush of wind, and Link knew that the figure was gone. And he felt lighter. Link didn't realize that the figure was a dark enemy that he knew very, very well.

Link felt his way around the room and found some stairs. He walked down three stairs, tripped, and fell all the way down. Picking himself up with many mutterings, he felt a beckoning in his mind. He walked forward and felt a crescent shaped gem. A sudden impulse struck Link, and he pulled the gem out. Another flash of light, and he saw! His vision slowly returned in patches, and he saw a sword, stabbed into a diamond plinth. Even unadorned as it was, it was magnificent. The hilt was ornately carved obsidian. The metal blade had the sheen of a thousand redmetal rubies. Hylian (or something closely related) runes were seared into the metal. The Kiriko Sword stood before Link's healed eyes. His hand stretched out, and grasped the hilt. The diamond plinth shattered, freeing the sword. A point of light shot out of the end of the sword, and laughed joyously.

"You have freed me! Thank you!" The light coalesced, and a glittering fairy formed. "I am Kinetha, leader of the Riboni."

"Why are you here, instead of in Freetree?" Link asked. Kinetha scowled.

"Baarucah discovered that I was too powerful in my home temple. So, he imprisoned me here, where my powers were normal." Link opened his mouth, and Kinetha held up a hand. "Are you going to ask where the other spirits are kept?" Link nodded. Kinetha closed her eyes, and a map appeared in thin air. The locations of the other spirits flashed: Isthman at Andulin Mount Temple, Remhet at the Ruined Fortress, Iyonti at Iyan Temple, Korinke at the Verital Keys, and Okasi at Flaret.

"Well," Link commented, "we're off to the Andulin Mounts."


	6. Report

Chapter 6: Report

A/N: Am I back? I'm not promising anything, but this idea wouldn't go away.

The crystal gleamed black beneath Baarucah's long, spindly fingers. He caressed the sphere, his digits tracing the swirls of darkness pulsating in the ball. An inner light appeared, engulfing the crystal in its evil, loathsome glow. Baarucah basked in the malevolent illumination, until a sinister voice pulled him from his trance.

"Slave, report."

Baarucah shuddered; not even he, a being so full of hatred that Ganon shied away, could compare to the immeasurable diabolical power his master radiated.

"Master, the conversion is almost complete. Zelda is almost ready to be taken to the Sacrificial Stone. One last stronghold of resistance eludes our grasp. She still clings to the hope that the vile boy, Link, is alive. She is resilient, I will give her that."

A _smack_ resounded from the crystal, and Baarucah recoiled as though he had been slapped.

"You fool!" The sibilant voice rang out. "One pocket of herself is all Zelda needs to communicate with that wretched boy! Our situation is compromised!" The voice grew quieter, and, if it were possible, more deadly. "Perhaps you need a lesson. A day watching another pawn fulfill your role?"

Baarucah fell to his knees. "No! Please, not that, Master! I am your devoted part! Do not replace me! I wish to serve you outside, not in my original habitat!"

The voice held a silence. A hiss of annoyance echoed from the sphere. "I will give you a second chance, Baarucah. Though it is against my nature. Do not allow me to change my mind about this. You are my most powerful cast-off."

Baarucah scrambled to his feet. "Yes, Master. I will not let you down! I will employ the Reaper to crush her futile fortress."

"Good," the voice chuckled evilly. "Remember who you are. You are my servant and slave."

Baarucah turned to leave when he was struck by a sudden question. "What of the boy? Where is he in his quest?"

The voice was beginning to fade, but there was enough nefarious intent left to send a shiver down Baarucah's spine. "The boy? He has left Gerkiln's dwelling just recently. He has no idea of the true complications of things. Kinetha has been retrieved, and Isthman will soon follow. Do not forget, our goal is for the boy to gather all the spirits. Then, we can easily exert influence over Rumeria. With the Kiriko Sword soon to be out of the way, our path will be clear."

The voice completely drained away. Baarucah sped off, ready to use any means necessary to get the Reaper to bleed the last good out of Zelda.

A/N: Whoever knows Baarucah's master's identity, keep it quiet. Just review, or whatever, and I'll be happy.


End file.
